A Little Car

Sunday 11th Nov.

Work this week has been very frustrating, promised meetings keep disappearing there is a very laid back approach to work here there is no initiate or sense, it's not that their unintelligent quite the opposite, just things get done in their own time and pace. Seems no structure to anything.  We had been warned that this would be the case.

Only key recognition at work late last week was  that in the morning a man comes around and now gives me a cup of hot water so I can make a coffee. That is progress believe it or not.

The Phillipinos in Lilongwe seen to keep expanding. Last night went to a birthday with next door. We all had to take food. But the couple having the party are religious so no alcohol allowed. However the Phillipinos love karaoke  they have a full projector and a program that literally had at least a thousand songs to choose from to sing too. They were singing all the time totally mad on it.

On Saturday I picked up my little car well I say little it still fits 5. So had my insurance, mot, registration and tax but not the number plates, too long a story to ask why not, but told not a problem to drive as the official supplier had our request.

So on Sunday we decieded to drive the 70 miles to the Lake. Good start we got lost, there are no road signs and maps are quite literally wrong. But then we got stopped by the police and fined £6 for not having correct number plates but at least they then put us on a connecting road to get us back in the direction we needed, however it was one of there c-class roads i.e. mud track so have a very slow bumpy ride for 20 mins. So finally got to Isaac's ( Ugandan) place who lives close to the lake, an hour late. He has been given a large 3 bedroomed bungalow to himself but unfortunatley no other volunteers live close by so is very much by himself and finding that hard.

This was for Herman and I our first trip out of Lilongwe so it was really nice to start seeing the open countryside and all the roadside villages. Lots of straw roofed shacks/houses. The land is undulating dried out brush but cultivated in many pockets where there is water and having to cross mountain ranges, today only upto about 1800m.

The lake is special as it is fresh water and massive, The local use it heaverly, not just for fishing but all along the beaches the women were washing their clothes at the same time as messing about, swimming, playing football, activity everywhere. However it was hot may have only been say 32c but the sun was very stong, even for me we had to sit in the shade. The Lake was very warm about 28c so nice to get a swim.

Now back home and planning where to go next weekend before the rains start for 3 months.